Sawyer&#39;s calculating board



J. R. GREENEMEYER SAWYER'S CALCULATING BOARD April 22, 1958 Filed Oct. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I I llll'h T'lgf-I [I M. F

INVENTOR.

John R. Greenemeyer ATTORNEY April 22, 1958 J. R. GREENEMEYER SAWYER'S CALCULATING BOARD Filed Oct. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. John R. Greenemeyer M ML, M

7 ATTORNEY United States Patent C) SAWYERS CALCULATING BOARD John R. Greenemeyer, Kecnesburg, Colo. Application October 1, 1953, Serial No. 383,460

4 Claims. (Cl. 143-124) This invention relates to calculating boards and more particularly to sawyers calculating boards adapted to predetermine the size and number of boards obtainable from a log, giving the largest sizes of boards for the least amount of waste or any desired board size.

Sawyers calculating boards have been proposed in the past which partially predetermine the size and number of boards obtainable from one log. Such boards can, for example, determine the number of one inch, two inch, three inch, etc. boards obtainable from a log, leaving a predetermined size of timber or core. The prior boards, however, do not permit the predetermination of multiple widths of boards, and still provide a predetermined size of timber. With the prior art calculating boards only one size board could be predetermined, and once that size was determined and the cutting started, the particular size board out had to be continued to produce the required size timber or stand plank.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sawyers calculating board for predetermining multiple widths and numbers of boards available from a log including an allowance for saw kerf without mental arithmetic calculations.

It is another object of the invention to provide a sawyers calculating board for predetermining the number of boards from a log retaining the predetermined timber or timbers, again without mental artithmetic calculations by the sawyer.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sawyers calculating board for permitting an operator to cut accurately calculated combinations of board sizes from a log including an allowance for saw kerf and a predetermined timber size without arithmetic calculations.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description and appended drawings, in which:

Figure l is a partial view of a calculating board and one method of mounting on a saw mill carriage in operative position;

Figure 2 is a detail view of a scale of the board and the index stations;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a calculating board according to the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a detail view of the determination of the various cuts of boards from a log leaving a standard timber of predetermined size.

As illustrated in Figure l, a calculating board 1 is mounted on a carriage 2, and a knee 4 of the carriage moves with a log 6. A multistation index 8 moves up and down on the board to indicate the distance of the movement of the log 6. The movement of the log 6 towards the saw 7 is indicated on the scales of the board by movement of the multistation index. A chain drive 10 over appropriate pulleys moves the index up and down the scale correspondingly to the movement of the carriage knee.

The calculating board shown in detail in Figure 3 includes a series of scales across the face of the board. The scale on the lefthand side indicated by numeral 1 is a standard inch scale and a base index 9 on the multistation index indicates the distance of the knee from the saw, or the scale and marker indicate the size of the log on the carriage when the log first touches the saw. The heavily shaded areas numbered 2 through 12 on the scales indicate the size of the timber or core to be left after cutting a predetermined number of the boards ofi the log. Each scale thereunder includes a mark indicating the timber width, and the timber width marks being full across the scale. For example, on the three scale, the full marks across the scale are multiples of three throughout the length of scale. The other scales are likewise marked according to the timber width. Each scale also provides a two inch series of scale markers along with the timber size markers. The two inc'h markers are not full across the scale, to distinguish them from the timber size marks. Each mark provides a kerf allowance as the index moves up the scale. The index 8 comprises the base index 9 or number 16, which is the top side of the bottom cross piece of the index marker, and a series of index wires labeled 11 through 15. The

wires are spaced one inch or other base distance apart including the saw kerf allowance. In general, one inch is the base size of board, but other bases as one and one quarter inch, etc. may be the base, which merely changes the distance apart of the index wires. In general, the saw kerf amounts to from A to 7 of an inch, depending on the kerf of the particular saw being used, so that if a one inch board is desired to be cut from a log, the knee must move the log one inch plus the saw kerf so that a full one inch board may be cut from the log.

Assuming that a log has been squared on three sides, and it is desirable to saw this log into one inch boards, the log must first be advanced to the point where a slab is removed. The depth of the slab must be calculated so that a number of one inch boards are produced leaving a predetermined sized timber on the carriage. The upper edge 9 of the wide band of the multistation index is moved to the nearest marker on the number 2 scale. This moves the log, or cant, towards the saw and sets the index for sawing one inch boards from the log. The

first movement moves the cant toward the saw to remove from a log leaving a predetermined size timber as shown by the indicated cut marks in Figure 4. In this case, it is desired to leave a three inch timber 30, and to also have a three inch board 31 from the largest diameter of the log. Thefirst part of the log is to be cut into three one inch boards 32, 33 and 34 extending from a small to a larger board, respectively. A two inch board is then desired, since the wider the board, the less number of cuts will have to be made on the log, and the less loss of wood as sawdust from the saw kerf. In most instances, one inch boards are desirable for the first few cuts from the log, since less edging waste occurs in the cutting of the one inch board immediately adjacent to the slab. Where a thick board or timber is cut from a round log a substantial amount of waste is the result, as for example the waste 36 at both ends of the three inch timber 30. The waste 37 from the ends of the board 32, on the other hand, is substantially smaller due to thefact that it is a one inch board. To make the cut as indicated in Figure 4, the number 3 scale is utilized, since it indicates a three inch timber is to be left on the carriage. The cant is moved towards the saw until index 13, which is the third index up from 16, thus providing for 3 one inch boards before station 16 reaches the stationary mark 19. The saw is run through the log at that setting, cutting off slab 38 from the log. Three one inch boards are then cut by moving the log so that station 14 of the index rests on mark 19 of the scale, and running the log through the saw cuts off the one inch board 32. Station 15 is then moved to mark 19 and a similar cut is made cutting off the one inch board 33. The third one inch board is positioned by moving station 16 to mark 19, and the board 34 is then cut ofi as before. The two inch board 35 is then positioned on the saw by moving the log so that index 9 is moved to mark 18 from mark 19, and the two inch board 35 is removed on sawing. Station 9 is then moved to bottom of the shaded area cutting off the three inch board 31. The remaining timber is the three inch timber 30.

In the event two two inch boards are desired before cutting the two three inch, one of the index marks on the multistation index station 16 is set on mark 23 which is on the left side of the three inch column below the next full three inch mark and denotes two inches plus saw kerf from index 19. In this case the cant would be moved towards the saw until index 15 is set on station 23. Then the slab could be removed, index 16 set on 23 making a one inch board. Index 16 would then be set on 19 for the first two inch board, on 18 for the second and then to the bottom of the shaded area for the two three inch boards as before.

Similarly, by using the various scales, determined in the main by sizes of the log and the desired timber size, any combination of the standard lumber widths may be cut from the board; allowing for the saw kerr", and leaving a predetermined size timber. A sawyer, without skill or much training, may economically cut logs into proper size with the speed and art of a skilled and trained sawyer. An already skilled and trained sawyer could, by using this device, saw more efiiciently with fewer mistakes and more accurately sawn lumber. Very little instruction is required for proficiency in using the board. The board requires no mental calculation in figuring the economical combination of cuts, the kerf allowance, or the core size desired from a particular log. With a little practice, four or five thickness combinations can be cut from the same log without mental arithmetical calculations.

The particular example is for a board designed primarily for mine timber and railroad tie work, hence the columns of odd scales seven and nine inch. For strictly lumber and standard timber work, scales seven and nine would be omitted and in their stead A and 4 inch board scales would appear. Multi-index station nine could be in spacings where one inch boards were not wanted for side cuts.

While the invention has been illustrated by specific example, there is no intent to limit the inventive concept to the precise details so shown, except insofar as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A sawyers calculating board in combination with a sawmill carriage having log-engaging knees for predetermining the movement of the knees to preselect combinations of board cuts and core thicknesses, comprising a multiscale board carried by and supported a fixed distance from said carriage, each scale of which includes a core thickness indicia and graduations for equal size board cuts including a correction for saw kerf, all the scales on said board coextending thereon, and a multistation index reciprocally disposed along said board and interconnected with a knee to provide a relative movement of the index along the scales of the board, the stations of the index being spaced one base board apart including allowance for saw kerf, each of said stations providing a simultaneous index position across each scale.

2. A sawyers calculating board according to claim 1 in which the multistation index includes a series of parallel wires perpendicularly juxtaposed across all of said scales and simultaneously movable along the scales.

3. A sawyers calculating board in combination with a sawmill carriage having log-engaging knees for predetermining the movement of the knees to preselect combinations of board cuts and core thicknesses, comprising a board carried by and supported a fixed distance from said carriage and having plural scales thereon, said scales being coextensive along said board and each having a core thickness mark thereon, the core thickness mark varying from scale to scale in progressively increasing thickness according to standard timber sizes, each of said scales having a series of graduations equal to its core thickness mark including a kerf allowance and having a series of graduations equal to a base board and including a kerf allowance, and a multiple station index interconnected for movement with a knee and relatively movable along said scales, the stations of said index being parallel and individually extending across all of said coextensive scales, said multiple stations being spaced one base board apart including a connection for saw kerf and simultaneously movable along the scales.

4. A sawyers calculating board according to claim 3 in which the multiple stations are spaced one board inch apart.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 702,200 Greene June 10, 1902 751,405 Palmer Feb. 2, 1904 1,375,159 Krocker Apr. 19, 1921 2,373,486 Love Apr. 10, 1945 2,555,642 Hahus June 5, 1951 2,574,393 Hult Nov. 6, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 605,040 Germany Nov. 2, 1934 OTHER REFERENCES Figure 51, page 91, of Lumber, by N. C. Brown, and published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, in 1947. 

